


Lay Beside Me

by sunshinexbomb



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Cuddling & Snuggling, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 10:04:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12885528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinexbomb/pseuds/sunshinexbomb
Summary: Tyson wonders for a second how they always seem to end up in this position, Gabe curled around Tyson under the covers. They’re always seeking each other out, coming together and finding the other no matter what.Tyson doesn’t know what he’s going to do without Gabe next year and the thought scares him a little.--Or three times Tyson and Gabe end up having to share a bed and one time they choose to.





	Lay Beside Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fiveandnocents](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiveandnocents/gifts).



> For fiveandnocents who said they like Tyson's awkward soul and 5+1 fics. This is techinically 3+1 because I ran out of time, but I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Thanks to Chloe for the quick beta, Brenna for the initial idea, and TC for answering a couple Avs-related questions. All other mistakes are my own!

**One**

Tyson forgets sometimes that while Nate is a good roommate and a great best friend, he’s a terrible fucking beer pong partner.

It’s only midnight and Tyson is already trashed because they’ve just lost two games in a row to Kerfy and Comph, which is embarrassing because they’re _pledges_ for god’s sake and they really shouldn’t be drinking Tyson under the table right now.

“You’re the worst,” he tells Nate point blank when Kerfy sinks the last ball and fist-bumps Comph in excitement. Nate honest-to-God pouts at him.

Tyson feels bad for about a second, because Nate looks genuinely upset, but then he tries to take a step towards him and his head’s swimming as he stumbles and right - there’s a reason he’s angry in the first place.

“You don’t always have to play with me,” Nate grumbles, which is not true. Of course Tyson has to play with him, that’s their _thing_ , they’re always partners. They have been since Nate pledged the year after Tyson became a full-time member of Kappa Alpha. They’re always gonna win together or lose together, no matter what.

“Of course I do,” Tyson tells him, “but it doesn’t mean you don’t suck.”

Nate just rolls his eyes at him. “Whatever. I’m gonna go find someone who appreciates me and my underrated beer pong skills.”

“Underrated and non-existent aren’t the same thing,” Tyson calls out after him, laughing when Nate flips him the finger.

The laughter makes Tyson’s head swim again, though, and he groans. God, he’s getting old if a couple games of beer pong are enough to put him under. He has a fleeting thought if he should just turn in for the night, and it becomes more appealing when someone turns the bass on the speakers up and there’s a loud cheer and questionable crash from the living room.

It’s probably time to call it a night.

Tyson manages to sneak off without anyone noticing him, getting up the stairs to the bedrooms with little incident.

Him and Nate are in Gabe’s old room now, which is a blessing because it’s huge and there’s actually a window and Tyson doesn’t have to worry about getting mice like he did back when they were on the lower floor. Tyson’s come to realize it really is the little things that matter the most.

The room’s pitch dark when he stumbles in, but Tyson doesn’t bother turning the lights on, stripping out of his jeans and just tumbling into bed. He nearly screams, though, when there’s a muffled groan and what the _fuck_ there’s someone in his bed already.

“What the fuck?” Tyson yelps, fumbling for the reading light on his nightstand, his heart racing. A dim yellow glow floods the room and Tyson nearly sighs in relief when he realizes it’s only Gabe, blinking at him blearily with irritation.

“Why are you in my room?” Gabe asks.

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

Gabe looks around him and curses. “Fuck, sorry, I forgot -”

Gabe’s words are syrupy thick and slow and Tyson’s pretty sure he’s even more wasted than Tyson is. The first couple big parties of the year really do hit them all the hardest.

If he was more sober, Tyson would probably chirp Gabe a bit more, but he just shrugs instead. “Whatever, better to end up here than like. In the bathtub or something.”

“I only did that once,” Gabe mumbles, and then lays down again, snuggling back up with Tyson’s pillow.

“Oh no, no way,” Tyson says, pushing at Gabe’s shoulder, but it’s useless. It’s like trying to move a rock and Tyson may have been skipping a few gym days over the summer. “Go back to your room.”

“Too far,” Gabe groans. “Time for bed.”

“This bed is way too small for both of us-”

Gabe sighs loudly, pulling Tyson down with surprising dexterity. Tyson lets out another yelp in surprise, but lets Gabe move them around until Tyson’s back is spooned up against Gabe’s chest.

“There, now there’s room,” Gabe says. His words are fading, and Tyson doesn’t have to look at him to know he’s already drifting back to sleep.

Tyson wiggles a bit trying to get comfortable, but his eyes are starting to get heavy and Gabe is warm and solid behind him. Gabe’s breathing is deep and even against the back of Tyson’s neck and it’s kind of nice even though Tyson knows they’ll both wake up sweaty and gross and probably mildly embarrassed in the morning.

Gabe’s arm tightens around Tyson’s waist, and soon, Tyson is drifting off to sleep.

**Two**

Organic Chemistry is seriously kicking Tyson’s ass.

There’s a tension headache starting to form in Tyson’s temple after class and the only thing he can think about as he trudges across campus is how he’s ready for a nap and maybe for someone to pat his hair and tell him it’s okay that he’s probably going to fail his exam in a couple weeks.

The house is loud when Tyson gets in, Mikko and Yak yelling at each other in the living room while they play NHL 17 and EJ chirping them both mercilessly. Some of the pledges are messing around in the kitchen while Josty grumbles about how he’s trying to study and Ghetto is making _something_ at the stove. 

The chaos is a lot to handle sometimes, but it settles Tyson a bit, all the noise familiar and comforting after three years of living in the Kappa Alpha house. Tyson misses it over the summer when he’s home, and he knows he’s definitely going to miss it when he graduates in the spring. Maybe they’re a bit much occasionally, but these boys are Tyson’s brothers and he would never trade this for anything.

Tyson’s hoping for some quiet when he walks upstairs, but he stops short at the top step, watching Nate and Gabe as they drag boxes of Gabe’s stuff through the hallway.

“Uh, what’s going on?” Tyson asks, following them to his and Nate’s room and then cursing loudly when he sees the state of it. “What the fuck happened?”

Nate just grunts, but Gabe smiles sheepishly at him, an expression that looks way too good on his stupidly handsome face. There’s a sheen of sweat on his forehead that he wipes away with the sleeve of his shirt, and Tyson ignores the flip of his stomach.

His room is a mess. Gabe’s things are littering every open surface, including the top of Tyson’s bed where Tyson was planning on passing out for the foreseeable future. Some of his things are in cardboard boxes, other things like his hockey gear just scattered across the floor. Tyson feels his tension headache getting stronger.

“You know that pipe that we were supposed to get checked on in the attic?” Gabe asks.

Tyson nods slowly.

“Well, I kind of forgot to put in the work order and then it burst this morning,” Gabe admits. “And now my room is uh. Out of commission.”

“Why is everything in here?” Tyson asks.

“Your room is the biggest. I need somewhere to stay for a couple nights while things get fixed up.”

“Landy, it’s a fucking mess in here,” Tyson complains and Gabe glares at him, moving back a strand of his hair that’s falling in his face.

“Sorry,” he says, voice dripping in sarcasm. “I really didn’t mean to inconvenience you while I’m having such a great fucking time myself.”

“Why didn’t you just get the pipe checked last year when you were supposed to?” Tyson asks and Gabe’s face gets stormy.

“It must have slipped my mind. Not like I was making sure that we didn’t get kicked out of the Greek Society and trying to deal with the possibility that one or more of us could be getting expelled all while Dutchy decided that he wanted to transfer at the end of the year. Things got a bit hectic, Tys, sorry that I forgot about the fucking pipes.”

Tyson’s irritation deflates, guilt curling in his stomach. He forgot how bad the end of last year was, how shit just seemed to be piling on top of them from every angle and how Gabe had to deal with it all because that’s what the president is supposed to do. 

Tyson’s guilt doesn’t make his headache feel any better.

“Sorry,” he says. “You’re right. Let me take a nap in someone’s room for a while and then I’ll come help you guys. It’s been a shitty day - not as bad as yours, apparently - but I just need twenty minutes.”

Gabe’s face softens a bit. “Shit. Yeah, that’s fine, Tys, whatever you need.”

Tyson takes another look around the room and Gabe’s frustrated expression, and slips off to find somewhere he can lay down for a bit.

\--

“Tyson. Wake up.”

Tyson groans, feeling groggy and out of sorts. It’s dark outside the window in EJ’s room and Tyson curses.

“How long have I been out?”

“A couple hours,” Gabe says softly. “Rants came to wake you and said you were sleeping like the dead so we just left you to it.”

“Shit, sorry,” Tyson says, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes. They feel gummy and gross and his entire body feels stiff. “I was supposed to help you guys with the room -”

“It’s fine, we got it sorted out,” Gabe says, shrugging. “Just one thing, though.”

“What?” Tyson asks, eyeing Gabe suspiciously.

“We can’t find the air mattress.”

Tyson blinks at Gabe, wondering if he’s just too sleepy to follow. “Okay?”

“Can I sleep in your bed with you tonight?” Gabe asks, again with the sheepish smile.

Tyson laughs in surprise. “You can’t sleep on the couch?”

“Would you sleep on the couch?” Gabe asks dryly and that’s a fair question. Tyson knows what kinds of things happen on that couch.

“I guess it’s the least I could do after being a dick earlier,” Tyson says and Gabe smiles, stupidly bright.

“Thanks, you know you’re the best.”

Tyson waves him off but his ducks his head at the compliment. “Yeah, whatever.”

Gabe laughs, pulling Tyson up with him. Tyson doesn’t complain about his hand lingering for a beat too long. His irritation from earlier has all but disappeared, and all Tyson can feel is a strong bit of gratitude that he has still has Gabe around at all.

**Three**

Going skiing for winter break is Nate’s idea, which is why Tyson has no problem complaining that it’s the worst idea any of them have had in recent history.

“This is fucking awful,” Tyson grumbles, rubbing at his arms to try and get some heat and circulation running through them.

“How was I supposed to know we would get snowed in?” Nate whines.

They got about an hour on the slopes before the snow started to fall, thick fluffy flakes coming down calmly before the wind picked up. The weather turned nasty quickly, and Tyson, Gabe, and Nate were forced to recede back to the cabin they’ve rented for the next couple of days.

Now the snow is piling up and it looks like it’s not stopping anytime soon.

“You’re being such a baby,” Gabe says. He’s curled up on the arm chair closest to the fire, his legs tucked up underneath him and a cup of tea warming up his palms. He looks soft and cozy in his winter sweater and Tyson is jealous because he’s fucking _freezing_.

“How are you not cold?” Tyson asks incredulously and Gabe just shrugs, taking a sip of his tea.

“I’m Swedish.”

“I’m _Canadian_.”

“And I’m bored,” Nate complains. He’s bundled up too, in a thick KA sweatshirt, but the tip of his nose is still a bit pink and he looks grumpy and sullen in a way that he usually doesn’t. “I don’t want to listen to you guys bitching the whole time. I’m going to see if there are, like, board games or something around here.”

“Come sit over here by the fire if you’re cold,” Gabe says a bit more softly as Nate pads off to search through the cabin for something to do. 

“You’re hogging the chair,” Tyson says, but he makes his way over there anyway, plopping down on the floor by Gabe’s feet and leaning against his legs. The warmth of the fire washes over him instantly and it takes everything in Tyson not to sigh in relief.

Outside, the snow is still falling heavily. Nate comes back empty-handed, but Tyson’s not complaining, not when it’s nice to just sit and relax by the heat of the fire. One of Gabe’s hands had made it into Tyson’s hair at some point, massaging gently at his scalp, and it’s making Tyson’s eyes feel heavy with sleep.

“Sorry we didn’t get to do any actual skiing,” Nate says with a heavy sigh.

“It’s okay, Mack,” Gabe says. “It’s good to just be here y’know? At least we’re getting to spend some time together outside of the house.”

Tyson doesn’t like to think about how they don’t have many days like this left, how in a few months him and Gabe will be graduating and Nate will probably be taking over as president. Tyson’s not ready for it all, to leave behind school and the house and to worry about finding a job and applying to grad school. It feels like too much all at once and it’s so much better to concentrate in the moment when he can feel Gabe warm against his back and Nate cuddling up to his side as he comes to join them by the fire.

\--

Tyson wakes up in the middle of the night, freezing his ass off. He’s cuddled up under two layers of thick blankets and it’s still not enough to keep him warm. 

Lying there in the cold sheets is useless even if Tyson’s exhausted, and he’s thinking about wandering back into the common area by the fire when he’s startled by a loud knock on the door.

“Tyson, are you awake?”

It’s Gabe, opening the door slowly and peeking his head inside. He’s still in his thick sweater, his hair ruffled and his eyes droopy from sleep. 

“Yeah, what’s up?” Tyson asks and Gabe smiles in relief, crawling into Tyson’s bed.

“It’s too cold,” Gabe mumbles and Tyson laughs, not complaining when Gabe cuddles up against him. 

“What, your Swedish blood can’t handle it?”

Gabe kicks at him under the covers, but it’s weak and half-hearted. “Shut up. I know you’re awake because you were freezing too.”

Tyson doesn’t respond, just laughing a little under his breath. It feels a thousand times better with Gabe there, their combined body heat enough to actually keep Tyson warm. 

Tyson wonders for a second how they always seem to end up in this position, Gabe curled around Tyson under the covers. They’re always seeking each other out, coming together and finding the other no matter what. 

Tyson doesn’t know what he’s going to do without Gabe next year and the thought scares him a little.

Again, Tyson concentrates in the moment, him and Gabe together, Gabe’s arm around Tyson’s waist and his leg hooked over Tyson’s hip. There’s really no other place that Tyson would rather be.

**+One**

It takes fucking graduating for Tyson to finally kiss Gabe like he’s always wanted to.

He probably shouldn’t have done it in front of the whole fraternity, but things happen.

“Why did you wait so long?” Gabe moans as they stumble into Gabe’s room together, still attached at the mouth.

Tyson is hot all over from the feel of Gabe’s body against him and the cheap champagne Nate had popped open for the party going on downstairs. He lets Gabe guide him toward the bed, giggling a little when his back hits the mattress.

“Have you, like, ever looked at yourself?” Tyson asks incredulously. “How was I supposed to know you were actually into me too?”

Gabe responds by kissing Tyson again, his mouth hot and wet and his tongue pressing against the seam of Tyson’s lips. Tyson grinds his hips up a little, the friction just perfect against his dick.

“I think you underestimate how good you look all the time,” Gabe says, rubbing his thumb against Tyson’s spit-slick mouth he pulls away. “Like, fuck, Tyson, you are gorgeous.”

Tyson blushes at the sincerity dripping from Gabe's words and his expression before pulling Gabe down for another searing kiss.

They lose their clothes quickly, shirts and pants finding their way to the floor and across the room before Gabe is pushing his hand into Tyson’s briefs and wrapping it around his dick. Tyson lets out embarrassing, breathy moans as Gabe touches him, Gabe’s mouth hot against his neck.

“So good for me, Tyson, so fucking hot,” Gabe mumbles and Tyson hates that it’s enough to make him come before Gabe even gets him totally naked, his whole body shuddering as Gabe strokes him through it.

Tyson only takes a second to recover before he’s crawling between Gabe’s legs, taking Gabe’s dick into his mouth. Gabe wraps his fingers in Tyson’s hair, moaning out more compliments in a low voice until he’s coming down Tyson’s throat.

Tyson chucks his wet briefs on the floor after wiping himself off, fucked out and blissful as he wraps himself around Gabe’s back.

Not for the first time, and hopefully not for the last time, they fall asleep curled up against one another.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Lay Beside Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14879259) by [frecklebombfic (frecklebomb)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frecklebomb/pseuds/frecklebombfic), [lotts (LottieAnna)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LottieAnna/pseuds/lotts), [silverandblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverandblue/pseuds/silverandblue)




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